Page 40 of Grumpy Billionaire Bad Boy

"Are we?" He raises a brow at me.

"Yes, Archer, we are friends. Is that okay with you?"

As if wheels are turning in his head, Archer struggles to find an answer. Sure, we've only known each other a week, but we're friend adjacent at this point, right?

Leo clears his throat by the front door. "This has been fun. I'm leaving now. Bye." He waves and slips out the front door, leaving the rest of us behind.

"Oh, I'm starving, is that lo mein?" Grace points to the table where a bunch of Chinese takeout containers are.

"Yeah, help yourself," Ivy tells her. "August and Leo are gone so those chairs are open. "Oh but—" She rushes over to another seat. "Don't touch these ones."

"What's wrong with those?" Grace asks her.

"They're Seven's and, well…he's kind of gross."

"Am not," Seven protests, stalking over and returning to his seat. "I washed my hands." He tips back the tequila and drinks some of it, my mouth watering at the idea of more booze flowing through my system.

"Can I have a drink of that?" I surprise myself by asking him.

Seven hesitates before grinning, exposing his canine teeth which appear to be filed down into a dramatic point. "Be my guest."

"London…" Archer warns but I ignore him, putting my mouth on the opening of the bottle and drinking some down.

It's hot, warms my throat and stomach, and sends a tingling sensation throughout my body. "That's good," I tell Seven and return the bottle to him.

He's strange—outwardly attractive with that tall, muscular, tattooed thing going on, but there's something about the look in his eye that tells me he's more trouble than he's worth.

And I don't exactly enjoy the way he looks at Grace like she's a piece of meat he's ready to tear into.

I settle into the seat next to Archer, Grace taking the one next to Ivy, as far as she can get away from Seven. It doesn't stop him from gawking at her the entire time.

"Are you single?" Seven asks her with no regard for the rest of us.

"Are you?"

Seven props his tattooed elbows onto the table and rests his head on the bottle. "I can be anything you want me to be, baby girl."

"One, don't call me baby girl. Two, what makes you think I want anything to do with you?" Grace takes the box of lo mein that Ivy slides to her. "Oh, thanks." She digs right in and I almost laugh at how she shuts Seven down.

I don't know much about Archer but it's clear he's involved in some shady shit. And considering my background, I wouldn't put it past this bunch to be a family of criminals in one way or another. Grace is nothing of the sort. She comes from money, and I haven't fully uncovered her backstory, but I think it has something to do with politics. She is the exact opposite of us, and here she is, not intimidated in the slightest. Maybe if she knew the truth she'd act differently.

Who am I kidding—I'm well aware of part of the truth and I still act like I'm not afraid of them.

They can't hurt me any more than my father already has.

"You're feisty," Seven says. "I like that."

"No," Archer speaks up, finally. "You like that she's not interested in you, you sick fuck. Leave her alone."

My cheek turns up into a grin, but I don't let it fully come to the surface. Instead, I eye the selection of food and wonder if there's anything that doesn't have meat in it that isn't already spoken for.

Archer shoves a sack toward me. "These are vegetable egg rolls."

"Oh." I hesitate. "Are you sure?"

"Yep."

I take one, carefully biting off the end and confirming that he's telling me the truth. The buzz of alcohol flows through me, settling my nerves.

---